Cameroon 2 New Zealand 1: Nchout's last-gasp winner sends Indomitable Lionesses through
Cameroon was heading out of the Women's World Cup due to Aurelle Awona's own goal, but Ajara Nchout scored a stunning last-gasp winner.
Published : Jun 21, 2019 00:27 IST
Ajara Nchout scored a sensational last-minute goal to secure Cameroon's progression to the last 16 of the Women's World Cup with a 2-1 win over New Zealand.
Both sides headed into Tuesday's contest needing a win to stand any chance of progressing from Group E and though Nchout opened the scoring, Aurelle Awona's calamitous own goal looked to be sending both teams out.
Erin Nayler had pulled off three superb saves in quick succession to keep New Zealand in with a chance and those stops paid dividends when Awona sliced into her own net in the 80th minute.
But, in the final seconds of stoppage time, Nchout came up with a moment of magic, twisting her way into the area before slotting beyond Nayler and booking Cameroon's place in the knockout stages with the last kick of the game.
READ: Netherlands 2-1 Canada: Beerensteyn seals win as Oranje finish top of Group E
Cameroon made its intentions clear from the off - Gabrielle Onguene curling wide before forcing a smart stop out of New Zealand goalkeeper Nayler.
And after Onguene had squandered another chance, Cameroon had a deserved lead 12 minutes into the second half.
Having returned to the field after she had been taken off on a stretcher due to cramp, Nchout excellently controlled Yvonne Leuko's clipped pass before sending a neat finish into the bottom-right corner.
Nayler proved New Zealand's hero soon after, twice denying Onguene before keeping out Alexandra Takounda's follow-up.
Annette Ngo Ndom's brilliant stop from Betsy Hassett's header looked to have secured Cameroon's passage, but its hopes seemed to have been dashed when Awona volleyed Katie Bowen's cross into her own net.
But Nchout took matters into her own hands and, with just seconds remaining, she curled in a sublime strike at the culmination of a wonderful run to send Cameroon through as one of the best third-placed sides.
| Key Opta Facts - New Zealand remains winless at the World Cup (D3 L12), failing to advance from the group stage in each of its five appearances in the competition (1991, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019). - Its second-half equaliser was its first goal of the 2019 World Cup. - Nchout became the second Cameroon player to score in multiple World Cups (2015 and 2019), after team-mate Onguene. |
Updates from other group matches:
Group E: Netherlands 2-1 Canada , Christine Sinclair scored at her fifth Women's World Cup
Group F:USA 2-0 Sweden , Lindsay Horan scored the fastest goal of this edition of the World Cup
Group F: Thailand 0-2 Chile , Francisca Lara's missed penalty sends Nigeria into the last 16